ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Forest Service officials say the agency is waiving fees for visitors at most of its day-use recreation centers during the Veterans Day holiday weekend.

Spokeswoman Judy Toppins says the fee waivers from Nov. 9-11 apply to the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests. She says forest visitors should feel free to call other local forest service offices to check on whether fees are being waived elsewhere.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell says the department encourages veterans and their families to take advantage of national forests and the associated benefits.

Officials say fees are being waived as part of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, and the waivers are also part of an initiative by President Barack Obama to encourage Americans to spend time outdoors.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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Grants to fund healthy habits in childcare centers

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning has been given a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement nutrition and exercise programs at childcare centers throughout southeast Georgia.

Department spokesman Reg Griffin says selected daycare centers will be given between $1,000 and $3,000 each to support programs that encourage healthy eating and physical activities for children under the age of five.

Griffin says applicants must participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The program is a federally funded initiative that reimburses daycare centers and other service providers for nutritious meals and snacks that are served to their clients.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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Sebelius to discuss Affordable Care Act in Atlanta

ATLANTA (AP) — Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to speak at two events in Atlanta.

Sebelius is expected to be in Atlanta Friday morning to speak at the Rosalyn Carter Symposium on Mental Health at The Carter Center. She's expected to discuss how access to mental health care could improve with the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act.

Sebelius is also scheduled to speak at the Southside Medical Center on how Georgians can learn about the Health Insurance Marketplace and enroll in coverage.

On Thursday, the department announced plans to award $5.3 million in grant funding to support 10 health care centers in the state — including the Southside Medical Center.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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Clayton man accused of pointing gun at student

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — A Clayton man has been charged with threatening a 14-year-old student with a handgun.

Jermethes Bonjovi Evans has been charged with aggravated assault and cruelty to children. A judge Thursday ordered him held without bond.

Police said a mother saw Evans pointing a gun at her son as he walked to a bus stop. The child ran away, and the mother confronted Evans and called police.

WSB-TV reports that investigators found a .38-caliber handgun in Evans' apartment, ammunition and suspected marijuana.

It was not immediately clear whether Evans had an attorney.

Information from: WSB-TV.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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Extra security at DeKalb game after player shot

ATLANTA (AP) — A high school football team in DeKalb County went back on the field after a teammate was wounded in a shooting.

WSB-TV reports that extra police officers were present Thursday as Stephenson High School played its final game of the season after the attack.

DeKalb County school police previously said the player was at the school for a team meeting Sunday afternoon. A fight broke out in the parking lot involving teenagers who were not Stephenson students.

One player was shot in the abdomen and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. The victim was treated and released.

Information from: WSB-TV.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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Savannah sewage spill releases 600 gallons

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A sewage blockage in Savannah resulted in a 600-gallon spill of wastewater.

The Savannah Morning News reports that an 8-inch sewer main became clogged with grease Thursday, leading to the spill.

Work crews fixed the problem around 7:20 p.m. They contained the storm drainage to prevent water from flowing into a canal.

City officials plan to install an alarm system to prevent similar spills in the future.

KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Police have detained four suspects after someone fired at a Waffle House in Cobb County.

WAGA-TV reports the shooting happened Friday.

Police said there was a disturbance in the early morning, causing a group of people to exit the restaurant. One suspect pulled a gun in the parking lot, fired two shots into the air, then shot out a restaurant window.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a former Atlanta public school teacher has been sentenced to serve 14 years in prison for her role in trafficking more than $8 million in government benefits.

The U.S. attorney's office in Savannah said Friday that 41-year-old Rashella Reed of Riverdale was sentenced Wednesday. She and two others were convicted in the case in July. Thirteen other people accused in the scheme had already pleaded guilty.

A lawyer for Reed says she thought she was participating in a legitimate investment opportunity.

Prosecutors say the participants in the scheme set up fake grocery stores across Georgia that were used as a front to buy food stamp benefits and vouchers for the Women, Infant and Children Program at a rate of 10 cents or 60 cents on the dollar.

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